5 K-Drama dream pairings who once ruled fandoms and deserve a comeback: Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo included

The 2000s for K-Dramas were a different and wild time. We saw pairings that we would never see today—like Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo, or Lee Min-ho and Park Min-young, whose chemistry transcended the screens and then flamed out. It was all part of the vintage K-Drama days, and we can only keep returning to the shows to relive them.

So, in 2025, let’s look back at some of the on-screen and off-screen couples that once ruled the K-Drama scene.

The magic of Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo made this show a resounding success. The story: In this emotional K-drama rollercoaster, Jung Ji-oh (Hyun Bin), a humble filmmaker from a poor farming family, and Joo Joon-young (Song Hye-kyo), a wealthy but emotionally scarred woman, fall in love across a chasm of class and personal baggage. After a messy breakup in college, they reunite and begin healing—until Joon-young’s judgmental mother and Ji-oh’s pride pull them apart once more. As Ji-oh battles an eye condition and self-doubt, and Joon-young struggles to understand his silence, the two must face hard truths about love, pride, and whether emotional connection can truly overcome everything that divides them.

K-Drama has K-dramaed enough? Then go for it.

Lee Min-ho and Park Min-young, do we even need to explain?  City Hunter is what happens when you mix deadly revenge, political corruption, and swoon-worthy action into one stylish K-drama cocktail. Lee Yoon-sung (played by Lee Min-ho) is a MIT-educated tech genius by day and a stealthy avenger by night—trained to take down the corrupt officials who ruined his father’s life. But of course, falling for bodyguard Kim Na-na wasn’t part of the plan. With secrets, snipers, and tension in every episode, City Hunter is worth every moment.

It's a shame that we didn’t get to see this pairing again.

Let’s go back even further. Lee Dong-wook and Lee Da-hae gave rom-com gold. Pretend cousins. Real feelings. A lie that spun totally out of control. In My Girl, Gong-chan (Lee Dong-wook) hires Yoo-rin (Lee Da-hae) to pretend she’s his long-lost cousin to appease his dying grandfather. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, and it’s fun. Their banter, awkward tension, and eventual heartbreak had viewers swooning and sobbing at the same time. We still quote Yoo-rin’s over-the-top lies.

The jury is still out on this one, but there are fans waiting to see Lee Min-ho reunite with Park Shin-hye again for another show. Despite the criticism, Heirs was a raging success, mostly due to Min-ho and Shin-hye’s chemistry as Kim Tan and Eun Sang. It followed all the classic tropes, of rich boy meets poor girl, and it was 2013, so obviously, people loved it.

Lee Min-ho strikes again—this time opposite the radiant Son Ye-jin. Yes, that pairing really happened. Personal Taste throws every classic trope into the mix: Fake cohabitation, mistaken identity, emotional baggage—and somehow, it works. It’s chaotic, heartfelt, and surprisingly charming. Come for the awkward situations, stay for the slow-burn chemistry.